Bonner, SMA, 322.
Bonner, SMA – PDF, 322.8–18; Peterson, Heis Theos, p. 54, n. 1; and especially Seyrig, Berytus, 1, 5–9.
Rev. σαλαμαξα βαμεαζα.
Soft black stone. Oval, 21 X 19. Traces of a suspension loop, now broken off, on upper margin. No illustration.
397
Obv. Bull's head to l.
Rev. ὁ ἐπὶ τoῦ αἵματoς Mελχίας, in four lines.
Highly polished haematite. Transverse oval, 20 X 16.5.
Mελχίας (Hebrew Malkiyyah) occurs as a man's name in 1 Esdras 9, 32 (Ezra 10, 31 in the English versions), but here it seems to be the name of an angel or a demon who governs the blood. M. Schwab lists Malkiyyah as an angel name found in an unpublished Hebrew manuscript (Mém. de l'Acad. des inscr., Série 1, X, 2, 28).
In the silver petalon found at Beirut and published by Héron de Villefosse (Florilegium Vogüé, pp. 287–295), several supernatural powers are invoked, each presiding over one of the seven heavens or over some part of the world, as rivers, mountains, etc. The descriptive phrase is usually τὸv καθήμεvov ἐπὶ, with the province governed in the dative, genitive, or even the accusative case. In PGM XIII, 456–457, an address to “the all-encompassing god,” there is the clause ἔταξας αὐτὸv (i.e. an angel) ἐπὶ τῶv τιμωριῶv; see also The Shepherd of Hermas, Sim. 6.3.2.
The invocation of a power governing the blood shows that the stone was worn as an amulet to check hemorrhages. The word παῦσov, “stop,” is engraved on the reverse of another specular haematite in the Seyrig collection (not illustrated in this book). Mr. Seyrig suggests that this stone also may have been intended to stop bleeding. The obverse design is a goat standing to left.
In the silver petalon found at Beirut and published by Héron de Villefosse (Florilegium Vogüé, pp. 287–295), several supernatural powers are invoked, each presiding over one of the seven heavens or over some part of the world, as rivers, mountains, etc. The descriptive phrase is usually τὸv καθήμεvov ἐπὶ, with the province governed in the dative, genitive, or even the accusative case. In PGM XIII, 456–457, an address to “the all-encompassing god,” there is the clause ἔταξας αὐτὸv (i.e. an angel) ἐπὶ τῶv τιμωριῶv; see also The Shepherd of Hermas, Sim. 6.3.2.
The invocation of a power governing the blood shows that the stone was worn as an amulet to check hemorrhages. The word παῦσov, “stop,” is engraved on the reverse of another specular haematite in the Seyrig collection (not illustrated in this book). Mr. Seyrig suggests that this stone also may have been intended to stop bleeding. The obverse design is a goat standing to left.
398
Obv. Mέγα τὸ ὄvoμα τoῦ κυρίoυ Σάραπις, in five lines. Crescent moon under the last line. The same inscription, except for the omission of κυρίoυ encircles a bust of Sarapis engraved on a jasper of the British Museum; see British Museum Quarterly, 11, 33–34. Several more examples are cited by Peterson, Heis Theos, pp. 208f.
Rev. Mεγάλη τύχη τῆς ἀvικήτoυ vεωτέρας, in six and a half lines, with a star after the last letter. The article is not to be inserted before τύχη; examples cited by Peterson, op. cit., p. 204 show that it was not infrequently omitted.
Brown and dark green jasper. Upright oval, 18 X 13 mm. No illustration.
Since the obverse inscription is an acclamation to Sarapis, one would expect the goddess addressed on the reverse to be Isis, and the opening words call to mind her association with Tyche. But μεγάλη τύχη is only a form of acclamation which might be used for various divinities.
If Neotera is Isis, she may be identified (as is often done) with Hathor, since an inscription from Dendera (CIG 4716 c) dedicates certain repairs to a Neotera who seems to be (Hathor-) Aphrodite. In his comment on that text Franz held that the “Younger Goddess” was Plotina, wife of Trajan, but no evidence has been found to confirm his opinion. On the strength of the Dendera inscription Grenfell explained the Neotera several times mentioned in P. Oxy. 1449 as Hathor-Aphrodite.
A gem in the Southesk Collection (K 7, Pl. 11) which represents Isis-Tyche reclining on a couch, is inscribed μεγάλη ἡ vεωτέρα ἡ ἀvείκητoς. The editor called the goddess Isis-Cleopatra, because Cleopatra was called vέα Ἶσις (Plut. Ant. 54, 9), and is styled θεὰ vεωτέρα on coins of Berytus and of the Cyrenaica.
There seems to be no reason why the epithet “younger” should be applied, as in her own right, to any Egyptian or Greek goddess with the exception of Kore, daughter of Demeter. On the other hand, there is much reason to think that it was originally given to royal personages identified with Isis
If Neotera is Isis, she may be identified (as is often done) with Hathor, since an inscription from Dendera (CIG 4716 c) dedicates certain repairs to a Neotera who seems to be (Hathor-) Aphrodite. In his comment on that text Franz held that the “Younger Goddess” was Plotina, wife of Trajan, but no evidence has been found to confirm his opinion. On the strength of the Dendera inscription Grenfell explained the Neotera several times mentioned in P. Oxy. 1449 as Hathor-Aphrodite.
A gem in the Southesk Collection (K 7, Pl. 11) which represents Isis-Tyche reclining on a couch, is inscribed μεγάλη ἡ vεωτέρα ἡ ἀvείκητoς. The editor called the goddess Isis-Cleopatra, because Cleopatra was called vέα Ἶσις (Plut. Ant. 54, 9), and is styled θεὰ vεωτέρα on coins of Berytus and of the Cyrenaica.
There seems to be no reason why the epithet “younger” should be applied, as in her own right, to any Egyptian or Greek goddess with the exception of Kore, daughter of Demeter. On the other hand, there is much reason to think that it was originally given to royal personages identified with Isis
Last modified: 2012-11-13 22:23:20
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